NDP railway funding promise is 'disingenuous': Romano

Published on May 22, 2018

Including funding for Huron Central Railway in the NDP platform is an attempt to 'score cheap political points', MPP Ross Romano said in a statement today.

NEWS RELEASEMPP ROSS ROMANO*************************This morning the local NDP candidate conducted a press conference announcing that the NDP would be including funding for Huron Central Railway (HCR) in their party’s platform wish-list.

While I appreciate that the NDP candidate has finally realized the importance of the HCR to Sault Ste. Marie and northern Ontario, it’s unfortunate that the NDP has waited until only two weeks before the June 7th election to talk about it.

When this issue first arose in November of 2017 I was fighting for HCR. I called upon Kathleen Wynne at Queens Park to help save this vital piece of infrastructure for Northern Ontario. I wrote to the Premier, conducted interviews on CBC morning news with Marcus Schwabe in order to raise awareness about the matter.

I also met with the people from Huron Central Rail on numerous occasions and have continued to meet with them. I did this in order to ensure that I would be an effective and informed advocate for this short line rail service in Northern Ontario and am in the best position to continue that advocacy after the June 7 general election.

It is disingenuous of the NDP to try to score cheap political points at this time with this important matter only weeks before an election. I stand by my record of fighting for HCR since the fall of 2017; when the issue first arose.

The fact of the matter is that this announcement by the NDP is nothing more than a photo-op act of political gamesmanship. It’s more of the same ‘promise the world’ antics we are used to seeing from the NDP.

Approximately 50 jobs right here in the North are at stake, and on June 7 after I’m re-elected and the PC’s form a majority government; I will be at the table, continuing the fight I started last Fall, ensuring we have solutions to issues like this and the many others that are affecting our ability to secure good jobs in Northern Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie.